


Shadows Will Scream

by kkeithkatt



Series: Sheith Month 2018 [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Sheith Month 2018, headache
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 11:34:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15193907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kkeithkatt/pseuds/kkeithkatt
Summary: He can feel it underneath his skin, picking away at his brain, rotting his eyes out, scratching at the bones. It’s withering, the pain. He feels like it's slowly eating at him, trying to devour every piece of it that it can.





	Shadows Will Scream

He’s leaning against the wall, facing the open panes of the observation deck, when the headache hits him. It starts faintly and he’s sure if had been occupied, busy with someone or something, that he wouldn’t have even noticed it coming. As it is, he’s alone, left with only his thoughts and the stars stretched out in front of him.

It starts behind his eyes, creeping up slowly. It feels like an itch, small and annoying and he has to resist the urge to push the heels of his hands into his eyes to relieve it. He knows that won’t actually do anything.

He’s been getting a lot of headaches lately, some stronger than others. He’s thankful this one at least isn’t in front of anyone and that it doesn’t feel that bad. The last time had been embarrassing and he had stumbled into his doorframe because of it. The look of concern Keith had given him, grabbing ahold of his arm, had made the guilt rise.

He didn’t want to make him worry. Keith had done so much worrying already, especially because of him.

He knows if Keith were here now he’d have noticed the headache too. He’d have asked him if he was okay, looking at him with his big doe eyes like he always does. Shiro’s sure if Keith ever heard him call his eyes doe like aloud he’d punch his silly. But Keith isn’t here right now and so Shiro will call them what they are. He’s not a liar after all. Not about Keith anyway.

He stays there, ignoring the faint whisper of Keith in his head, telling him to go ask for some space aspirin. It’s just a small headache. He can handle it. There’s no use wasting the medicine they do have on him when they are probably going to need it some other time, when it’s more important.

He slightly regrets that decision later though . As the hours begin to stretch on and he adventures away from the observation deck, into the ship and coming in contact with it’s other, louder inhabitants, the headache builds. He can feel it underneath his skin, picking away at his brain, rotting his eyes out, scratching at the bones. It’s withering, the pain. He feels like it's slowly eating at him, trying to devour every piece of it that it can.

He knows it’s all in his head (pun intended) and that it’s not actually anything like a vulture picking away at a dead carcass but that’s what it feels like right now and Shiro’s been prone to over exaggerating in the past. (The very distant past anyway).

It doesn’t feel like an exaggeration though as his skull practically vibrates when Lance begins to yell loudly about something, shoving his way into Pidge’s space. Pidge, never to be outdone in anything, a true younger sibling, shouts back, thrusting a hand into his face, striking his cheekbones. He complains loudly, shoving her back, and before a tick even passes they’re at it, roughhousing.

If he weren’t in such pain, he’d appreciate the sight. It’s nice to see any of them act like the kids they truly are.

As it is, he is in pain and he does not, in fact, appreciate the loud noise that comes from all around him. They don’t notice though, too absorbed in pushing the other off the couch as they are.

Keith, however, always notices and he shouldn’t be surprised when the younger man sidles up next to him, placing a hesitant hand on his elbow.

“You okay?” He whispers, frowning a little.

Shiro tries to smile and he thinks he succeeds, at least a little bit. “Just a headache.”

Keith’s frown deepens a bit. “Have you taken anything?”

Shiro’s silence is enough of an answer as is the way he avoids his eyes. He doesn’t ask him why he hasn’t. They both know why.

They both also know that it’s not a good enough reason for him. Not when it’s in regards to Shiro that is. He’s sure if it were the other way around, Keith wouldn’t have taken any either.

What a pair they make, he thinks as Keith wordlessly guides his willing body out of the room. No one notices their departure so it’s left without comment. They go to the cryopod room first, Keith stopping to dip out some pills from a drawer, before heading to Shiro’s room, where Keith unceremoniously pushes him onto the bed.

The  movement hurts his head a bit more, not liking the shift in motion, but it doesn’t seem to like anything right now so there’s nothing for it.

He sits still as Keith goes into his bathroom, filling up a glass with cool water, returning with it and the pills.

He swallows them without argument, feeling the burn of Keith’s gaze on him as he does so. No sense in fighting a losing battle. He knows from the past that Keith will stop at nothing for his argument, even if the (supposibly) unmovable object is Shiro himself.

He’s always been an unstoppable force and he smiles at the thought. It’s such a fitting thing.

The water goes down in gulps and slides past his lips and down his chin. He might as well finish the whole glass. Keith went through the trouble of getting it for him and the chill does help soothe his pain a little. When he hands it back to him, he sets it down on the bedside table to deal with later.

He nudges his shoulder and Shiro scoots both backwards and to the side, itching towards the wall as Keith settles in next to him. They say nothing as he pulls the blankets back and over them, shifting to lay down together. A nap will be good, he thinks as the throbbing continues. He knows it’ll take the medicine a minute to take effect but at least asleep he won’t have to deal with the wait.

He throws an arm over his waist, the other locking under his head as a pillow, as he nudges into his side, nose bumping his ribs. Shiro guides a hand into his hair, relishing in the fact that despite being far from earth and everything it provides, Keith’s still found a way to keep it soft and smooth. They breathe a sigh together. It’s a relief almost to be back like this, locked as one, as if it’s the first time either have been able to catch their breath all day.

He knows his reason for that. He wonders what Keith’s is.

He doesn’t ask though, instead choosing to remain in silence. He feels heavy and tired, exhausted in a way he hasn’t wanted to admit for days now. The headache may have just gotten there today but he’s felt this terrible for almost a week. Perhaps the pain is just his body’s way of telling him to slow down and quiet. He needs the rest, he knows this, but what’s more is that he wishes he didn’t.

Keith makes it easy to surrender though, what with the way he’s curled into him, warm and strong against him. He doesn’t want to be anywhere else.

“I love you.” He tells him, words starting to slur a little as he eases his way into sleep. Keith hums, nipping at Shiro’s ribs beneath his shirt and he smiles.

Yes. This is exactly where he needs to be.

 


End file.
